The Lowdown – Easter in Airdrie

I’ve spoken in past columns of my memory regarding the Orthodox Church back in Winnipeg; the grandness of their presentation and the importance to my grandparents and their parents who immigrated to Winnipeg from Poland and the Ukraine. The old churches still adorn the streets of what was once a vibrant part of my home city. I remember the old corner store where Baba and Gramps served their community with fondness and love. The store was a very old building that my mom’s family moved into and made into a home and business right after WWII. The mammoth Eastern Orthodox Church I was baptized in was across the street. I still remember the bells ringing through the neighborhood on Sunday’s and how full the streets would be when Church was in, especially on Easter.

As was tradition of the day, all the woman in the neighborhood would take their baskets of bread and decorated Easter eggs (knows as pysanka) to be blessed. Like others, the Orthodox observed Lent too, which by the time of this printing, is well underway for many in Airdrie and around the world. I can still see myself with Gramps in the back of the store looking through the window by the sink at the cars of families arriving to take part in Easter Sunday. We would walk over once the crowds cleared and find our place inside. Easter is a serious Christian observation and that church was as serious as it gets. I remember it being huge, the icons were massive and the incense…I can still smell frankincense and myrrh to this day. The Priest would walk around the entire church waving his ornate censor throughout. To this day, those smells are there if I think about them. I am sharing all of this with you to create some insights to this week’s column on the upcoming family Easter Egg Hunt on April 12 from 2-4PM at Venue Church right here in Airdrie!

I caught up with the media liaison for this year’s event at Venue, Anthony Morvillo. We were soon joined also by Pastor Corey Kope. The three of us dove right in and had a tremendous conversation. We started with the facts of last years success and what the event is all about. Anthony shared,

“Last year was the first time for us, we had 80,000 eggs and they vanished fast! This year, we have more time to plan and we intend on having more than 100,000 eggs for the kids!”

Venue Church is a growing group that holds various events in our city through the year from movie nights to street festivals. You can tell as you speak with these gents that they really embrace their roll in our community and that Venue is a very different experience for those who take part.

“As a Pastor, it’s not about whether or not you believe in God. It’s about sharing the word of God and encouraging those who come to us to utilize that message in their own lives with the hope that with those good decisions come good results and people can see for themselves how great their lives can be”.

Corey went on to praise the effort of his team at Venue.

“Last year was put together fast. The teamwork of our people is exceptional, and I really appreciate how they get it done. This year we have more time and we wanted to grow it from there. Scott Werenka and Anthony do so much work for this event. This happens because guys like this are so results orientated. I think there are a lot of instances in life where much of the time is spent trying to get everyone on board, while these guys just get to it. By the time others have thought about something, these guys have already tried it and know how it works. It’s excellent to watch them take the ball and run with it.”

This is a big event in Airdrie with major foot traffic. Last year they had over 5000 visitors! This year aims to be larger, so like anything of this size, volunteers are critical and in need. If you want to help for a few hours make sure you reach out to Venue right away. There will also be sponsorship opportunities for local businesses so make sure you get yourself to the front of that line too! You can reach Scott directly at www.airdrieeaster.com or 403-966-9744 for information on both.

Things are going well at Venue. On a typical Sunday they have upwards of a few hundred who take in the service. With Corey being the son of a Pastor who chose to go into the trades before being called, you can see how the influence of his path is influencing his life and those in it today.

“I didn’t want to create a church for church people, I worked with people who weren’t church people, so it seemed like a logical approach to create a place for all people, with or without God. I grew up with people who had a perception of what church is, so we tried to create something that better connects you with God. We believe, you get healthier and you become happier. Our environment is challenging, while being highly engaged and fun. We tackle the tough conversations while making sure we’re about the results. We don’t assume people believe in God; we try to introduce them to God’s teaching. We don’t expect you to join us and believe in God necessarily, we want you to come, hear the message, apply it to your life and take notice of the improvement. It’s from this that I hope you see the value of God in your life.”

For more information on Venue Church and of course their upcoming Easter event visit their site at www.venuechurch.ca and make sure you check them out on their social accounts too!

Thanks again for reading The Lowdown, you can read this and archived columns at lowingmedia.com.